Correctly understanding love mattered to the Apostle John…it mattered immensely. There is probably no other biblical author that spoke more of it and considered its effects and implications in such detail. And such is the case in view of the present text where John famously writes, “God is love.” This affection that is so close to the very being of God is something that His children have the privilege of participating in, experiencing its life-altering effects. Pastor Daniel emphasizes some of these effects by stating, “God’s extravagant love through Christ gives us confidence that we are free from condemnation for our crimes.”

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

True God-focused and God-originating love has great effects upon on one’s life. In fact, John made it clear that one should be able to look at those effects as confirmation that true loving faith in the Lord was present in a person. Love of God means something and it never stands alone. Pastor Daniel puts it this way: “When I love God, I joyfully obey Him. Love means joyful obedience. This is love’s obedience.” Speaking against legalism and challenging listeners toward engaging with God in a way that brings true heart change, John’s words are brought to light as we enter into the final chapter of the Apostle’s letter.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

June 14, 2014

In 2007, John MacArthur wrote a very important book, The Truth War [Thomas Nelson], that began (p. ix), “Who would have thought that people claiming to be Christians—even pastors—would attack the very notion of truth? But they are.” After citing some specific examples, MacArthur wrote (p. xi):

The idea that the Christian message should be kept pliable and ambiguous seems especially attractive to young people who are in tune with the culture and in love with the spirit of the age and can’t stand to have authoritative biblical truth applied with precision as a corrective to worldly lifestyles, unholy minds, and ungodly behavior. And the poison of this perspective is being increasingly injected into the evangelical church body.

He goes on to show how God and truth are inseparable. Satan tempted Eve with the lie that undermined God’s truthful word. Ever since, the enemy has attacked the truth, because truth is inextricably bound up with God (John 8:44) and His Son, who speaks the truth and who is the truth (John 8:45; 14:6). So if we love God and love Christ we must love the truth and defend the truth when it is under attack. One characteristic of those who incur God’s judgment is that “they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10). All will be judged who “did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:12).

In John’s account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, he emphasizes two important truths about our Savior: First, He is the King of the Jews, and by rightful extension, of all people, because His kingdom is not of this world, but is spiritual. Second, John underscores the Lord’s emphasis on truth. Jesus tells Pilate (John 18:37), “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” To which Pilate scoffs, “What is truth?” and walks away. Bringing these two points together, we can say that…

Jesus is the King of truth and everyone who is of the truth hears His voice.

1. Jesus is the King of a spiritual kingdom founded on spiritual truth.

Pilate’s question, “Are You the King of the Jews?” was probably incredulous. You is emphatic, so the sense is, “You! You’re the King of the Jews?” If Pilate’s question had been sincere in terms of determining who Jesus really is, he would have been on the right path, because the most important question for every person to answer correctly is, “Who is Jesus Christ?” If He is who He claimed to be, then He is worthy of your trust and submission. If He is not, then no one should waste their time being a Christian.

Jesus could not answer Pilate’s question without further clarification. If Pilate meant, “Are you the political king of the Jews who is usurping authority from Rome?” the answer is, “No.” If he meant, “Are You the Messianic King of Israel, promised in the Old Testament?” the answer is, “Yes, but not in the way that most Jews envision that kingdom.” So Jesus’ question (John 18:34), “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” is asking, “Have you personally investigated My claims and are wondering if I am the Jewish Messiah; or are you relying on the secondhand charges of the Jewish leaders?” Pilate’s contemptuous reply is (John 18:35): “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” Pilate assumed that there must be something behind the Jewish leaders’ accusations, but he wasn’t sure exactly what.

Jesus does not reply to Pilate’s question, “What have You done?” Instead, He elaborates on the nature of His kingdom. We can learn two things from His reply:

A. As the King over the spiritual realm, Jesus is the rightful sovereign over all rule and authority.

Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, where the concept of the kingdom is prevalent, John only mentions the kingdom here and in John 3:3, 5 (but, cf. John 6:15). John 18:36-37: “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’ Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’” Jesus’ reply was literally, “You say that I am a king,” but the expression is “unambiguously affirmative” (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John [Apollos/Eerdmans], p. 594; cf. Matt. 26:63-65).

When Pilate asked, “So You are a king?” he wasn’t looking for spiritual answers regarding Jesus’ identity. He was just trying to navigate through the Jews’ accusations to get to the bottom of why they really had brought Jesus to him. Jesus plainly let Pilate know that politically, His kingdom was no threat to Rome. If His kingdom were political, Jesus would have had soldiers defending Him from arrest. As anyone who had been in the garden could testify, Jesus in fact had rebuked one of His followers who had taken up arms to defend Him. As seen in his answer (John 18:38), “I find no guilt in Him,” Pilate discerned that Jesus was not a political threat.

But at the same time, Jesus makes it clear that He is a king, just not the kind that Pilate might envision. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, but is spiritual. The kings or rulers over earthly kingdoms rule by coercion over geographic territories and seek to conquer other territories through military might. They force their subjects to pay taxes so that they can live in luxurious palaces while they build and sustain their armies. But Jesus’ kingdom is different. As He explained to His disciples (Matt. 20:25-28):

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

In His first coming, Jesus came as a humble servant to establish His spiritual kingdom in the hearts of those He came to ransom from their sins. He came to offer salvation freely to all who willingly submit to Him. But at His second coming, He will forcefully subdue all opposition and judge all who have rebelled against Him. Daniel 7:13-14 describes it:

I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.

The apostle John pictured it like this (Rev. 19:11-16):

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

So Pilate saw a man who outwardly did not look anything like a king. He looked like a common Galilean working man. He wasn’t wearing expensive clothing or jewelry. He wasn’t surrounded by servants. But Jesus was and is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is presently at the Father’s right hand, awaiting the day when He will make His enemies a footstool for His feet (Ps. 110:1). Someday, Pilate, Caiaphas, Caesar, and every person who has ever lived, will see Jesus coming in the glory of His Father with the angels and bow before Him as King before He sentences them according to their deeds (Matt. 16:27; Phil. 2:9-11)! The clear application is: Make sure that your heart is in subjection to Jesus as your King now, so that you are not terrified by His coming later.

B. Jesus’ spiritual kingdom is founded on spiritual truth.

In John 18:37, Jesus testifies, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” This is the only reference in John to Jesus’ birth, which points to His humanity. But Jesus has repeatedly made reference to His coming into this world, which points to His pre-existence and deity (John 3:13, 31; 8:42; 9:39; 16:28). Here Jesus indicates that He has been born and come into the world to be a king, but the way He establishes His kingdom is not by military force, but by bearing witness to the truth. Mohammed established his kingdom with the power of the sword, which his most ardent followers still use: convert or be killed. In contrast Jesus set up His kingdom by the power of the truth and His love as seen at the cross.

Jesus’ claim shows that, contrary to the prevalent postmodern philosophy of our time, there is such a thing as absolute, objective, knowable truth in the spiritual realm. Such truth is true whether you feel it’s true or not. It’s true whether you like it or not. It’s true whether you believe it or not. Spiritual truth is not determined by pragmatism, or what works. Some methods and techniques seem to work in terms of success in business or relationships, but they aren’t spiritually true in light of eternity because they do not bring people into submission to Jesus Christ. Spiritual truth applies to all cultures and all people in all times. All spiritual truth comes from God, revealed to us in His Word, which points us to Jesus Christ. Spiritual truth is centered on the gospel, which transforms our hearts and brings us under Christ’s lordship so that we will not face His judgment on the last day.

It’s important to understand that truth is inextricably linked to the eternal God. To answer Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” John MacArthur offers this definition, drawn from Scripture (ibid., p. 2, italics his):

Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God. Even more to the point: truth is the self-expression of God…. Therefore God is the author, source, determiner, governor, arbiter, ultimate standard, and final judge of all truth.

He adds (p. 1), “Every idea we have, every relationship we cultivate, every belief we cherish, every fact we know, every argument we make, every conversation we engage in, and every thought we think presupposes that there is such a thing as ‘truth.’”

The Bible calls God “the God of truth” (Ps. 31:5; Isa. 65:16). It is impossible for God to lie (Titus 1:2). Since God is the only eternal being, who created all that exists, and since He is spirit (John 4:24), we cannot know Him by human reason or speculation, but only as He has chosen to reveal Himself to us, which He has done supremely through Jesus Christ (John 1:1; cf. Luke 10:22; Heb. 1:1-3). John 1:14 affirms that Jesus, the Word who is God, is “full of grace and truth.” Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth,” who would guide His followers into all the truth by disclosing the things of Christ to us (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). Thus truth characterizes each person of the triune God.

Since we are to glorify God by being conformed to the image of His Son, truth should characterize every believer in Christ. We are to “practice the truth” (John 3:21). We are sanctified by God’s Word, which is the truth (John 17:17). We are to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Since Satan is a liar and the father of lies, in contrast to Jesus who always spoke the truth (John 8:44-45), all who want to be like Jesus must strive to be truthful both in word and in behavior. As Paul put it (Eph. 4:15), we are to speak the truth in love. He added (Eph. 4:25), “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” This encompasses not only truthful speech, but also speaking that which is in line with biblical truth or sound doctrine.

The fact that there is absolute spiritual truth also means that there is absolute spiritual error. Some spiritual error is relatively minor in its effects, but some is devastating and damnable (Matt. 23:23, 24). Thus in Paul’s final three pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus, he exhorts them repeatedly to teach sound (= “healthy”) doctrine and to refute those who teach harmful doctrine (1 Tim. 1:3-11; 4:1-3, 7, 11, 16; 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2:14-18, 23-26; 3:1-17; 4:1-5; Titus 1:1, 9-14; 2:1; 3:9). The church is “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Jude 3 exhorts, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” He goes on to warn about false teachers who threatened the church. Also, 2 Peter and 1, 2, & 3 John all have strong warnings against false teachers and exhortations to hold to the truth.

To say that something is absolutely true is to say that anything contrary to it is a lie. But if you say this in today’s tolerant, postmodern culture, you will be labeled as a narrow-minded bigot. Over 100 years ago, C. H. Spurgeon (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit [Pilgrim Publications], 49:174) said that in his day, you would get three cheers if you went into the world and said that you were an agnostic—that you didn’t know anything or believe anything. Others say that it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you’re sincere. This, Spurgeon said, is like believing that you can drink acid without harm or go without food and not starve. But, Spurgeon concluded, “Our blessed Savior is honestly intolerant.”

In our text, there are two responses to the truth that Jesus proclaimed: Pilate scoffed; but those who are of the truth hear Jesus’ voice.

2. Those who are not of the truth scoff at the very notion that there is truth in the spiritual realm.

I believe that Pilate’s reply, “What is truth?” was said with a cynical sneer. If he were asking sincerely, he would not have immediately walked away. When Jesus said (John 18:37), “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice,” He was extending an implicit invitation to Pilate to respond: “Pilate, will you hear My voice? Will you listen to Me as I speak the truth to you about your soul?” Really, it was Pilate, not Jesus, who was on trial, because whenever a person comes in contact with Jesus Christ, his sins are exposed in the light of Christ’s holiness and he has a decision to make. Will he hear Jesus’ voice calling him to come to the light? Or will he walk away because he is uncomfortable in the presence of such light?

Apparently Pilate didn’t give much thought to his decision to scoff at Christ’s words and go back out to the Jews, but that was a spiritually fatal decision. On the surface, it seemed like a little thing. Pilate probably thought, “I need to get this case resolved so I can go have breakfast and get on with my day.” But sometimes seemingly small decisions have major eternal consequences: Will you go to church and hear the gospel preached or will you stay home and enjoy a leisurely breakfast while you read the paper? When you hear the gospel preached on the radio, will you listen and respond to Christ or will you hit the button for your favorite music station?

The apostle Paul said (1 Tim. 6:13) that Jesus “testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate.” So Pilate’s skeptical response was not because Christ’s witness was somehow lacking. You can give the gospel as clearly as you know how, and yet people scoff and walk away. Why do they do that?

The comprehensive answer is, “Sin.” And probably the major sin that keeps people from faith in Christ is pride. They think that they know more than God and so they sit in judgment on the Bible, rather than letting it sit in judgment on them. Pride keeps them from asking God to reveal the truth to them. Pride makes them think that their good works will qualify them for heaven.

Also, often as people get older, they often become cynical of any religion that claims to be exclusively true. Perhaps they’ve been ripped off financially by professing Christians. They’ve seen Christian leaders who preached holiness while they were secretly engaging in sexual sins. At the same time, they’ve met unbelievers who were decent, good people. So they wrongly conclude that no one can know spiritual truth and anyone who claims to have the truth is arrogant and narrow-minded.

Another reason people scoff at the truth in Jesus is laziness and resistance to change. They don’t diligently seek truth in God’s Word, because it takes effort. It’s easier just to live as they’ve been living and not do the hard work necessary to change old habits. Plus, they love their sin and the truth makes them uncomfortable. So, like Pilate, they scoff at the notion that there is truth in the spiritual realm. But by God’s power, some do respond:

3. Everyone who is of the truth hears Jesus’ voice.

Being “of the truth” suggests spiritual origin. As Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:6-7), “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” Those who have been spiritually reborn by the Spirit of truth are “of the truth.” They become seekers of the truth in Christ. So the crucial question is, “Have you been born again?”

If you wonder, “How can I know whether I’m of the truth? How can I know whether I’ve been born again?” Jesus gives the answer: You will hear His voice. Jesus often cried out (Matt. 11:15; 13:9), “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” He was challenging people to ponder the meaning of what He proclaimed and apply it to their hearts. Hearing Jesus in this sense means not only listening, but also obeying what He commanded. The fact that spiritual truth is knowable and objective means that, like science, it must be studied. God’s truth is like precious metal or hidden treasure that must be diligently sought after (Prov. 2:1-6). If you are “of the truth,” you will be a truth-seeker by studying God’s Word. But the aim is not just to acquire knowledge, but to apply that knowledge wisely so that your life is pleasing to God.

Conclusion

Years ago on a TV talk show, the Archbishop of Canterbury was speaking with actress Jane Fonda. He said, “Jesus is the Son of God, you know.” Fonda replied, “Maybe he is for you, but he’s not for me.” To which the Archbishop wisely answered, “Well, either he is or he isn’t.”

Although most Americans and even a large percentage of evangelical Christians reject the idea of absolute truth in the spiritual realm, that doesn’t undermine the fact of it. Jesus is the truth and He testified to the truth. And He is the King. If you are of the truth, you will hear His voice and submit your life to Him.

Application Questions

1. How can you reply to a person who accuses you of being narrow-minded and bigoted because you believe in absolute truth?
2. Often those who study God’s Word come across as spiritually proud know-it-alls who love to win an argument. How can we grow in spiritual knowledge and yet avoid such pride?
3. Some Christians say that we should set aside doctrinal differences and come together in love and unity with all Christians. Is this sound advice or is it dangerous? Why?
4. Sometimes the slogan, “All truth is God’s truth,” is used to smuggle worldly “truth” into the church. Is the slogan valid? What parameters need to be applied to it?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2015, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

June 28, 2015

Donald Grey Barnhouse (Let Me Illustrate [Revell], p. 245) tells about visiting a 16th century Augustinian monastery and palace near Madrid, Spain, called El Escorial. It is a magnificent building where the kings of Spain have been buried for centuries. The architect who built it made an arch so flat that it frightened the king. He ordered the architect to add a column that would uphold the middle of the arch. The architect argued that it was not necessary, but the king insisted. So the column was built. Years later, the king died and the architect then revealed that the column was a quarter of an inch short of the arch, which had not sagged in the slightest. Barnhouse said that guides pass a lath between the arch and the column to show that in over 400 years, the arch has not moved.

That arch is like our salvation in at least three ways. First, there is a master designer or planner behind it. It did not just happen, but was carefully planned and carried out by God. Second, it is totally sufficient in and of itself. Just as the arch didn’t need the help of a column to stand, so our salvation as provided in Christ is perfect and sufficient without human works needed to supplement it. Third, there is a practical aspect or function to it. The arch wasn’t just for looks, but to support that building. Our salvation isn’t just for looks, but is to result in a life of good deeds to glorify our Lord. These three points are brought forth in John’s account of the death of our Savior. The lesson is:

Through Christ’s death God planned and provided totally for our salvation, which results in good works.

The title of this message, “So Great a Salvation,” is from Hebrews 2:3, which rhetorically asks, “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” From John’s eyewitness description of Jesus’ death we learn three things about our great salvation:

1. God planned Christ’s death for our great salvation.

John wants us to see that the cross was no accident. From start to finish it was in accordance with God’s foreordained purpose, even in the seemingly minor details. John shows this through Jesus’ fulfillment of types and prophecies; through Pilate’s inscription; and through the soldiers’ gambling.

A. God’s plan for our salvation is evident in Jesus’ fulfillment of types and prophecies.

John 19:17: “They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.” (The Latin for “Skull” is “Calvary.”) The phrase, “He went out,” points back to the Old Testament sacrificial system, where the sin offering was taken outside the camp. Leviticus 16:27 states, “But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire.” Hebrews 13:11-13 applies this type to Jesus:

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

Also, John notes that Jesus bore His own cross. This probably refers to the horizontal crossbeam, not to the entire cross. The upright portion was already put in the ground. The other Gospels (Luke 23:26, parallels) report that the soldiers forced a man named Simon of Cyrene to bear Jesus’ cross. There is no contradiction: Jesus carried His cross from the place of judgment as long as He was able. But His bodily weakness due to the scourging and other mistreatment caused Jesus to stumble under the load. At that point, the soldiers conscripted Simon. But John wants to emphasize that Jesus bore the cross to show the Father’s sovereign plan and the Son’s obedience to that plan (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 609).

Also, when God gave the startling command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac was a type of Christ. In that moving story, we are told that Abraham put the wood for the sacrifice on Isaac his son, who submitted to his father (Gen. 22:6). Even so, John wants us to see that Jesus, the Son of God, bore His own cross in obedience to the Father.

Also, Jesus was crucified between two others. John does not mention specifically the fact that they were criminals or tell us as Luke does about the repentance of the one thief. But still, in dying between two thieves, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:12, which predicted that Messiah would be “numbered with the transgressors” as He bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors. This brings out “the truth that Jesus was one with sinners in His death” (Leon Morris, The Gospel of John [Eerdmans], p. 806).

The other gospels report that when they arrived at Golgotha, just before they crucified Jesus, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23; or gall, Matt. 27:34); but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. It is often said that this was a narcotic to ease the pain, but D. A. Carson (Expositor’s Bible Commentary [Zondervan], ed. by Frank Gaebelein, 8:575) argues that it was a form of torment that amused the soldiers, because the myrrh made the wine so bitter that it tasted like gall and was undrinkable.

John 19:28 reports that later, as He hung on the cross, Jesus cried out, “I am thirsty.” This time someone gave Him some sour wine (or vinegar) on a sponge to drink. The two references together (to gall and sour wine) fulfilled the Messianic Psalm 69:21, where David complained, “They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Also, in Psalm 22 David depicts the details of a death by crucifixion hundreds of years before that cruel punishment was devised. In Psalm 22:15 the sufferer describes his thirst: “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death.” John 19:29 also says that they used a stalk of hyssop to lift the sponge to Jesus’ lips. Hyssop was what Israel used to put the blood on the doorposts of their homes at Passover (Exod. 12:22).

Jesus’ thirst not only fulfilled Scripture, but it also shows His full humanity. His suffering was not mitigated by the fact that He also is God. Docetism, a heresy that plagued the early church, taught that Jesus wasn’t truly human. He was God, but just seemed to be human. But as John 1:14 states, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Hebrews 2:17 explains, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

Dr. S. Lewis Johnson (www.sljinstitute.net, sermon “Pilate and the Jews”) suggested that Jesus’ thirst also represented His spiritual condition as He who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf. Like the psalmist whose soul was parched as he felt separated from God (Ps. 42:1-2; Ps. 63:1), so Jesus was spiritually thirsty as He cried out (Matt. 27:46), “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” How ironic that the One who promised the woman at the well living water that would quench her thirst forever died crying out, “I am thirsty”! So Jesus’ fulfillment of types and prophecies shows that His death was no accident. God predicted it and planned it all for our salvation. (I’ll treat one other fulfilled prophecy, that of the soldiers’ gambling, in a moment.)

B. God’s plan for our salvation is evident in Pilate’s inscription.

None of the gospels, including John, describe the horrific details of death by crucifixion. It is one of the most tortuous forms of execution ever devised. After the brutal scourging, which killed some before they were crucified, the victim was forced to carry his own crossbeam to the site of execution. A man would walk ahead carrying the placard stating the charges, which served as a solemn warning to others not to commit the same crime. The victim was stripped naked and laid out on ground, where his hands or wrists were fasted to the crossbeam with large nails. The crossbeam was then hoisted up and fastened to the upright. The man’s two feet were forced together and nailed with one nail. There was sometimes a peg used as a supporting seat, not to alleviate pain, but to prolong it, as it allowed him to push up to gasp for air. Sometimes a man would suffer on the cross two or three days before expiring.

The placard would be attached to the cross for all to read. Only John mentions the three languages that Pilate had the charges written in: Hebrew (or Aramaic); Latin, and Greek. Hebrew was the language of the Jewish people in Israel. Latin was the language of the ruling Roman government. Greek was the lingua franca of commerce and trade. John wants us to see that Jesus’ death was not just for the Jews, but for the whole world, a theme that he has emphasized throughout his Gospel (John 1:29; 3:16; 4:42; 12:20-21).

The charge that Pilate wrote was (John 19:19), “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Pilate wrote the inscription to mock the Jews: “This is what we Romans do with you Jews: We crucify your king. This miserable man on the cross is a fitting king for you despicable Jews!” The chief priests felt the barb and objected (John 19:21), “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” But at this point, Pilate had been manipulated enough by the Jews, so he retorted (John 19:22), “What I have written I have written.”

But what Pilate meant in sarcasm, God meant in truth. Jesus really was the promised King of the Jews. When He was born, magi from the east came to Jerusalem asking (Matt. 2:2), “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that she would be with child through the Holy Spirit, he said regarding Jesus (Luke 1:32-33), “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Although in His first coming, He died as the sacrifice for our sins, in His second coming, He will rule the nations with a rod of iron as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:15-16). So, like Caiaphas who inadvertently prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, so Pilate unknowingly proclaimed the truth that Jesus is the King of the Jews and of all nations. Make sure He’s your king!

C. God’s plan for our salvation is evident in the soldier’s gambling for Jesus’ garments.

John 19:23-25a:

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

The prophecy that the soldiers inadvertently fulfilled was Psalm 22:18, “They divide my garments among them; and for my clothing they cast lots.” None of these pagan soldiers were aware of that psalm or of the fact that they were fulfilling a prophecy made 1,000 years before. But John points this out to let us know that these were not random happenstance. Although these soldiers were not pre-programmed robots and were only doing what soldiers tend to do, the sovereign hand of God behind the scenes was controlling even these minor details surrounding Jesus’ death. While Jesus died naked to bear our shame, He clothes us who believe with His robe of perfect righteousness!

Perhaps as Mary and the other women stood there in horror and grief watching these events unfold, they thought, “Some of us made those garments for Jesus and now these heartless men who do not know God and do not care at all about Jesus are gambling for them. Where is God in all this?” But if they knew and could recall the Scriptures, they would have marveled at God’s sovereign hand fulfilling even these peripheral details at this horrible scene!

As I mentioned recently, some theologians and pastors (called open theists) try to absolve God of the problem of evil and suffering by arguing that He is not sovereign and omnipotent over the evil things people do. Rather, He is as surprised and upset by it as you are. Years ago I attended a funeral for a young woman at another church here in town where the pastor said, “This tragedy was not in the will of God.” He meant to offer comfort by saying that God had nothing to do with her death, but he really robbed the grieving family of the only comfort we have in such difficult circumstances, namely, that the sovereign God who cares about every sparrow that falls to the ground cares for you in your troubles (1 Pet. 5:6-7).

The way that the minute details of Jesus’ death fulfilled these many types and prophecies teaches us that we can trust the Bible, even when we don’t fully understand it. I’m sure that David and Isaiah and many other Old Testament authors did not fully understand the things that they wrote which later would be fulfilled specifically in Christ’s death for our sins. As 1 Peter 1:10-12 explains:

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

But even when we don’t understand why God is allowing our suffering, we can trust in the promises of His Word. Someday in heaven we will look back even on the puzzling minor details and see how He worked them together for our good.

We also can rest in God’s faithfulness as we realize that there is no such thing as luck for us as God’s children. The soldiers believed in good luck as they cast lots for Jesus’ garments, but as believers we know that God was working even the rolling of the dice to accomplish His sovereign purpose (Prov. 16:33). They were responsible for their sin, but God overruled it for His purpose.

Also, when we submit to God’s mighty hand through the trials He brings into our lives, He uses them to conform us to the image of His Son, who learned obedience through the things that He suffered (Heb. 5:8). God uses tribulation to produce in us perseverance, proven character, and hope (Rom. 5:3-4; see, also James 1:3-4). Just like that arch that had a wise architect who planned it, so the Father planned our salvation.

2. The great salvation that God provided through Christ’s death is sufficient and lacks nothing.

The arch that that architect so carefully designed did not need a column to support it. The column only detracted from the sufficiency and beauty of the arch. In the same way, the salvation that God provides through Christ’s death is complete and sufficient. Any attempts to add human merit or works only detracts from the wisdom and glory of its architect.

As the cross loomed ahead of Him, Jesus prayed the night before (John 17:4), “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” Here, just before He utters His final words (Luke 23:46, citing Ps. 31:5), “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” Jesus cries out (John 19:30), “It is finished!” (The Greek verb for “accomplished” and “finished” is the same.) Then (John 19:30), “He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” No one took His life from Him; as the good shepherd, He laid it down on His own initiative for His sheep (John 10:11, 18).

The fact that Jesus finished or accomplished our salvation on the cross means that we cannot add anything to what He did. To add human works or merit to the finished work of Christ is like building a column to support an arch that doesn’t need any support. It detracts from the architect’s design and skill, as well as from the beauty of the arch he made. As Paul put it (1 Cor. 1:30-31), “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” Or (Eph. 2:8-9), “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The only way to respond to God’s gift of salvation through Christ’s finished work is to receive it by faith alone.

But while we are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves always produces fruit. Through Christ’s death God planned and provided totally for our great salvation. But, also …

3. Our great salvation results in good works.

Just as the arch in the Escorial served a practical function, so our salvation is not just for looks. God designed it to bring Him glory as we engage in good deeds. As Ephesians 2:10 adds, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

This is exemplified in our Lord’s compassion for His mother as He hung on the cross. Although He was going through unimaginable agony and understandably could have thought only of Himself, He tenderly committed His mother’s care to the apostle John (John 19:26-27). Apparently Joseph had already died, leaving Mary as a widow. In that culture, widows had difficulty supporting themselves. Jesus’ brothers, who were not yet believers, were probably not present at the cross. John was Mary’s nephew and had the special designation of being the one whom Jesus loved. Jesus knew that John would be responsible to take care of Mary. So He demonstrated from the cross both the need to honor our parents and also to care for widows (Exod. 20:12; 1 Tim. 5:3-16).

The Bible is full of commands which show that our salvation is not just for our personal benefit, but is to work itself out in practical good deeds:

Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Titus 3:1: “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed.”

Romans 15:1-2: “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”

Conclusion

Commenting on John’s account of our Savior’s suffering here, J. C. Ryle remarks (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], pp. 290-291):

He that can read a passage like this without a deep sense of man’s debt to Christ, must have a very cold, or a very thoughtless heart. Great must be the love of the Lord Jesus to sinners, when He could voluntarily endure such sufferings for their salvation. Great must be the sinfulness of sin, when such an amount of vicarious suffering was needed in order to provide redemption.

I conclude by going back once more to Hebrews 2:3: “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” Answer: We won’t escape! Make sure that you do not neglect the great salvation that our gracious God and Savior provided at the cross! Trust in Him and serve Him with all your heart!

Application Questions

1. A critic asks, “How could God plan the crucifixion of Jesus and at the same time hold those who did it accountable for their sin?” Your answer?
2. What are the practical implications of believing that there is no such thing as good luck or bad luck for believers?
3. What’s wrong with the Roman Catholic view that we must add our merit or works to faith in Christ in order to be saved? They would use James to support this. How would you counter it?
4. Many argue that we should come together as Catholics and Protestants on the areas where we agree and set aside matters where we disagree, such as justification by faith alone. What biblical book counters this argument? (Try Galatians.)

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2015, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation